CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team begins conference play Friday night at 6:30 p.m. against UIW in a three-game series.
"It's a whole different animal this weekend," said head coach
Scott Malone. "Every weekend is a grudge match and a rivalry. It'll be a big weekend, it'll be exciting."
The Islanders hold a 22-12 record all-time against the Cardinals, having won the last matchup at Chapman Field 7-0 in March of 2020. Both times have flip-flopped back and forth, each team earning three wins apiece in the past six games.
The 2021 season concluded with the Islanders finishing 20-14 in conference play. In the Southland tournament, the Islanders defeated fifth-seeded Sam Houston State 4-3 before falling to top-seeded Abilene Christian University and the Bearcats in a second matchup.
The team sits tenth in Division I baseball for the most triples while leading the Southland Conference with nine in 23 games. They have a combined 211 hits, earning the 40th most in the nation and top mark in the SLC.
Coupling with team success, multiple Islanders have found individual success as well on the field. Sophomore
Brendan Ryan sits sixth in all of DI baseball in stolen bases with 16 and in being hit by pitch, having gotten knocked 11 times. He holds the 17th best mark in hits as well in the nation, connecting the bat 35 times this season. Ryan leads the conference with the marks in hits and stolen bases.
Freshman
Zach Garcia will make his first start on the mound for the Islanders after having success in all of his seven appearances in 2022. Throughout the time he's earned on the mound, Garcia walked away with two victories and two saves, posting a 1.84 ERA.
Defense has thrived for A&M-Corpus Christi as
Tyler Linneweber, a sophomore, leads the conference in assists with 57. Senior
Steven Rivera-Chijin is tied for the sixth-most fielding double plays at 10 on the season.
Justin Taylor, a junior catcher, has caught nine players stealing to lead the conference in the category.
The series begins at 6:30 Friday afternoon with the games on Saturday and Sunday being held at 6:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. respectively.
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For more information on Islanders Baseball, follow the team on Twitter (
@IslandersBSB), Instagram (
@IslandersBSB) and like their Facebook page (
Islanders Baseball).
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